Envelop-machine.



No. 642,900. Patented Feb. 6, 1900. E. ERMOLD. ENVELOP MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shem l.

WITNESSES.- llVl/E/VTOI? Qt/Mm A7705 VS.

TNi Nonms virus 00 PuoTo-umm wnsnmsmm n c.

No. 642,900. Patented Feb. 6, I900. E. ERMOLD.

ENVELOP MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 642,900. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

E. ERMOLD.

ENVELUP MACHINE.

(Applicatiun filed Apr. 29, 1899.)

3 SheetsShaet 3.

(No Model.)

NHED STATES EDlVARDERMOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP- MACHINE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,900, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed April 29, 1899- fo ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD ERMOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Machines,of which the followingisaspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in envelop-machines, and more especially to a machine for making the envelop for which Letters Patent were granted to Augustus D.

Klaber, No. 532,206, dated January 8, 1895, said envelop being designed for the purpose of mailing facsimile copies of manuscript, type-writing, &c., obtained by one of the mechanical multiplying processessuch as the hectograph, cyclostyle, and the like-the machine being adapted for the purpose of making such envelops at the same speed as the ordinary envelops with sealing-flaps used for first-class mail-matter.

The invention consists of an envelop-machine in which, in addition to the usual operative parts-such as the elevator for feeding the blanks, the apparatus for gumming the pickers, the clearer, &c.a picker of novel construction is used, by which the blank is taken up partly by the gummed faces of the picker and partly are supplied with gum by means of suction-nipples in connection with a suction-pump operated from the cam-shaft of the machine.

The invention consists more specifically of the construction of the picker composed of gummed faces and suction-nipples which are supported sidewise of said faces.

The invention consists, further, of certain details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be fully described herein- Serial No. 714,963- (No model.)

supporting-frame of my improved envelopmachine, and B the table of the same. Below the table B is arranged a cam-shaft C, from the cams of which the operative parts of my improved envelop-machine receive their motion in the usual manner. Below the table at the left-hand side of the frameA is arranged a blank-elevator E, which is made of any approved construction, said elevator receiving step-by-step motion, so as to supply one envelop-blank after the other to the gumming apparatus G and picker P. The envelop-blanks are supported in a pile on a suitable platform E, operated by the elevator E, so that one blank after the other is subjected to the action of the laterally-reciprocating gumming-rollsG and the picker P. The elevator E is so constructed that at each rotation of the driving-shaft O a blank is fed to and taken up by the operating devices of the envelop-machine.

All the parts of my improved machinesuch as the elevator, gummer, clearer, conveyer, folder, &c.are constructed in any approved well-known manner, with the excep tion of the picker, which is made on the principle of combined adhesion and suction, so as to produce an envelop with a loose flap for mailing printed matter, such as facsimile representations of type-writin g, manuscript, 850. In Fig. at is shown a top view of the blank used for this envelop and its clearer-plate, showing a portion of the edges of the sealingflaps supplied with gum, while the remaining portions of the sealing-flaps are not supplied with gum, so as to permit one of the side flaps to be opened after the envelop is formed for the inspection of the contents by the postoflice officials. As a picker of the ordinary construction would not take up such a blank in which the edges of the flaps are only partly supplied with gum, it is necessary to supply an additional elementnamely, one or more suction-nipples F, the edges of which arear ranged somewhat below the horizontal plane of the faces of the picker, so that the portion of the blank to which no gum is supplied are taken up by the suction-nipples of the picker in the same manner as the gummed edges were heretofore taken up by the adhesionfaces of the picker. For this purpose the nipples F are arranged one back of the other on 'a horizontal supporting-arm f, which is attached to the picker-rod, the nipples being guided by means of sleeves f on stationary tubes f helical springs f being interposed between the sleeves f and the stationary tubes f so as to provide a certain yielding action to the suction-nipples F when they descend with the gummed faces of the picker in taking up a blank. The suction-nipples F are connected by a horizontal tube 01 with each other, one of the nipples being above said horizontal tube connected with a suctiontube f which is again connected by a rubber tubef with a suction-pump F, that is pivoted to the right-hand side of the frame A and oscillates thereon when its piston is op erated by an actuating-cam)" on the driving cam-shaft S. The piston-rod F is pivoted for this purpose to a curved oscillating arm f which is pivoted at f to the front part of the supporting-frame A and connected at its rear end by a helical spring f with a station ary point on the rear part of the supportingframe A, as shown in Fig. 2. The curved arm is provided with an antifriction-roller f which is acted upon by the cam f said cam producing the downward motion of the piston of the suction-pump F at the proper time, so that a suction action is exerted by the nipples on the blank to be lifted by the picker and nipples, which blank is transferred by the clearer-plate H and conveyer I to the folder L, which is located back of the picker mechanism. The clearer-plate H is provided with holes h vertically in line with the nipples F, so that the latter in their downward motion with the picker-faces P form yielding contact with the clearer-plate and exert the suction action on the blank through the holes h h.

Vertically-reci procatin g motion is imparted to the picker and nipples from the cam-shaft (J by a mechanism which consists of a bellcrank g, which is applied to the verticallyguided rod of the picker P, the lower arm of said bell-crank being connected by a second bell-crank g with the slotted upper end of a connecting rod 9 which is pivoted to an arm 9 that is pivoted to the frame A and held by a helical spring and an antifriction-roller g in contact with an actuating-cam g on the cam-shaft O, as shown in Fig. 2. At each rotation of the cam-shaft C the picker and nipples are operated so as to take up a blank and raise it by the joint action of its gummed picker-faces and the suction-ni pples. Ahelical spring 9 is interposed between the lower arm of the second bell-crank lever g and a stationary collar 9 011 the connecting-rod 9 so that the lower arm of the bell-crank lever g is pulled toward the lower end of the slot in the upper end of the connecting-rod g and thereby the proper yielding contact of the picker and suction-nipples with the blank obtained.

The blank is released from the combined picker and suction-nipples by means of a horizontal clearer-plate H and then transferred by a reciprocating conveyer of the usual construction into the path of the plunger, which transmits it into the folder. After the blank is folded the flaps are closed and sealed in the usual manner by the machine.

My improved envelop-machine makes the envelop described in the Patent No. 532,206 referred to by supplying gum only to a portion of the blank, while the remaining ungummed portion is lifted by the gummed faces of the picker in connection with the suction-nipples, the suction-nipples taking the place of some of the gummed faces of the picker which were heretofore used in en velopmachines for making ordinary envelops with sealing-flaps.

By the arrangement of the suction-nipples in connection with the gummed faces of the picker the peculiar style of envelops referred to can be made with the same facility as ordinary envelops, so that one side flap can be opened for inspecting the contents of the envelop whenever required by the post-office officials.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an envelop-machine, the combination ofan adhesion-picker, a suction-picker adapted to cooperate with the same in lifting a blank, and a clearer-plate provided above the blank with a perforation adapted to permit the passage of the suction-picker through the plate, substantially as set forth.

2. In an envelop-machine,the combination, with means for supporting the pile of blanks, of a clearer-plate located above the blanks and provided above the same with a perforation, an adhesion-picker adapted to pass beyond the plate, and a suction-nipple adapted to pass through the perforation of the plate into contact with the blank at the under side of the same, substantially as set forth.

3. In an enve1op-machine,the combination, with means for supporting the blanks, of a clearer-plate partially covering the blanks and provided above the same with perforations, an adhesion-picker above the clearerplate and adapted to pass beyond the edge of the same in its downward movement, and a suction-picker above the clearer-plate and provided with nipples adapted to pass through the perforations of the plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD ERMOLD. Witnesses:

PAUL Gonrnn, M. HENRY WURTZEL, 

